Location
Located at Hamar-Daba (Hamar-Daba Mountain, Height 752) to the west of the Khalkhin Gol. Also spelled "Hamardaba" or "Hamar Daba".

Construction
By May 1939, a landing ground with fuel and a some equipment was established here. It is possible there were at least two runways in this vicintiy, one to the east of the command post and one to the southeast.

Wartime History
During the Battle of Khalkhin Gol / Nomonhan Incident May - September 1939 this location had an airfield and headquarters (command post). During bad weather, aircraft would navigate using the Hamar-Daba Command Post as a visual reference. The area overhead this point was codenamed “Kvadrat 623-B”.

This location was only 30 km west of the frontlines and was the most forward Soviet Airfield. During the conflict, dogfights often took place over this airfield and location.

On May 27, sixteen fighters from the 22nd iap relocated from Bain Tumen Airfield to this forward airfield.

The VSS (Soviet Air Force) commanded by Yakov V. Smushkevich established their command post at this locaiton or nearby, arrival unknown but established by early July. Also known as "Point 91 Airfield", as the code name for the location.

Japanese Missions Against Hamardaba
May 15, 1939 - September 15, 1939

On May 27, Eight I-16 tip 10 led by Timofey Kutsevalov took off from Tamsagbulag Airfield and landed at Hamardaba Airfield. On the ground they were refueled and used a starter truck positioned there previously.

On June 25, Soviet ground controller Palk Aleksandr Gusev scrambled the 22nd iap to intercept Japanese aircraft.

On July 13, three Mongolian Air Force R-5 biplanes landed at the airfield to refuel and arm with bombs and took off again around midnight to harass and bomb Japanese positions.

On August 1, a reconnaissance eskadrilya (other sources state an aviozveno) led by Kap Borziak flying I-16 tip 10 moved to this airfield to perform recon 200km over the frontline and 100km deep into Manchurian territory.

During middle August, Kap Y. Stepanov eskadrilya was stationed at the airfield with fighters at Number One Alert (highest level) for five days and nights.

On August 12, a major dogfight happened over Hamar-Daba between 60 JAAF aircraft and 137 I-16 from three iap (Fighter Regiments).

Then on August 20, at 4:30pm ten Ki-21 from 61st Sentai bomb the Hamar-Daba command post and are intercepted by 22nd iap fighters includuing 23 x I-16 and 11 x 153, including missle armed I-16s in a dogfight at 5,000m to 2,000m altitude.

Next on August 25, another large air battle happened on between 47 x I-16s of 56th iap versus Ki-27s.

On September 15, in one of the conflict's final combats, Japanese and Soviet aircraft battled over this location.

Units based at Hamar-Daba
56th iap (I-153) ? - September 1939

Today
Abandoned since the war, no obvious trace of the airfield remains.

References
Japan Against Russia page 25, 31, 43-44. 55, 72, 74, 77, 80, 82, 88-90, 96
Bataille Areriennes N°50 - Red Star versus Rising Sun, Nomonham Air Fighting

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Last Updated
July 19, 2024